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The differences between highway engineers and geotechnical engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a highway engineer and a geotechnical engineer. Additionally, a geotechnical engineer has an average salary of $74,831, which is higher than the $71,538 average annual salary of a highway engineer.
The top three skills for a highway engineer include autocad, highway design and civil 3d. The most important skills for a geotechnical engineer are geotechnical, civil engineering, and project management.
| Highway Engineer | Geotechnical Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $71,538 | $74,831 |
| Hourly rate | $34.39 | $35.98 |
| Growth rate | 7% | 7% |
| Number of jobs | 24,499 | 15,062 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 80% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
Highway Engineers are responsible for the design and implementation of road network projects. They are involved in road network maintenance, local road schemes designing, supervising construction teams, preparing tender contract documents, and administering risk assessments. Other duties include preparing construction cost estimates and ensuring health and safety directives are adhered to and prepare the project budget. Highway engineers also work with multi-stakeholders such as transport specialists, the public, and the client to deliver within the timeline.
A Geotechnical Engineer plans and designs the structures for buildings, roads, embankments, canals, and other construction projects. They provide advice to civil and structural engineers, architects, and construction personnel.
Highway engineers and geotechnical engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Highway Engineer | Geotechnical Engineer | |
| Average salary | $71,538 | $74,831 |
| Salary range | Between $55,000 And $92,000 | Between $56,000 And $99,000 |
| Highest paying City | Los Angeles, CA | Anchorage, AK |
| Highest paying state | California | Alaska |
| Best paying company | Parsons | BP America Inc |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a highway engineer and a geotechnical engineer in terms of educational background:
| Highway Engineer | Geotechnical Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 80% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Most common major | Civil Engineering | Civil Engineering |
| Most common college | University of Michigan - Ann Arbor | University of Michigan - Ann Arbor |
Here are the differences between highway engineers' and geotechnical engineers' demographics:
| Highway Engineer | Geotechnical Engineer | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 92.9% Female, 7.1% | Male, 82.8% Female, 17.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.6% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 10.5% Asian, 16.6% White, 64.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | Black or African American, 3.5% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 10.3% Asian, 17.0% White, 64.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 5% |